Between Christmas and New Year’s I decided to put my house on the market. So my family put it in gear to make it look the best it possibly can so maybe a first time buyer will come along and fall in love with it and take advantage of the tax credit.
When Liz and I stage a house we give sellers this advice: repair what needs to be repaired so the house is in move-in condition, add an area rug in the living space to pull it together and add color, remove clutter and family photos so the buyers can see the space and imagine themselves living in the house, and clean everything so it shines!
So I took our advice:
I bought an area rug for the living room. The carpet is contractor beige, and the new rug really adds color and style to the room—pulls it together.
Conor laid a new floor—oak laminate—in the kitchen and entryway. When I bought the house almost two years ago, the floor was scarred from someone scooting a refrigerator into place. So, for future reference, always put something under the wheels—plywood or carpet—to roll the fridge into place. It’s heartbreaking to tear flooring you just put down.
I replaced the ceiling in my coat closet that Handyman Judd cut out when looking for a burst pipe before I moved in. That hole has been there all this time—so I finally got around to it. Working in a two by two foot cubicle, trying to nail boards to brace the drywall above my head, standing on a step stool that doesn’t fit so I had to lean it against the wall, dropping every other drywall screw as I drilled them into place—well, needless to say, that little project took entirely too long. But when it was spackled and painted and dry, it was a lot better than the hole!
Conor replaced a doorknob on the kitchen door that leads into the garage with a lever handle and deadbolt that will use the same key as the front door.
Liz took down my Christmas tree and decorations, took pictures and will list the house this week. She reminded me to take down my family photos—now, that’s a hard one. Do I really have to take down my son’s precious baby pictures, toddler pictures, high school pictures, oh, and my nieces and nephews—everyone I love? Yes, that’s what we tell our clients, so that’s what I must do. I’ll get a head start on packing and pack those distractions away. Buyers need to look at the house and picture themselves living here.
I bought new hand towels for the powder room and touched up paint around the house, and painted the handrail going up the stairs. I cleared out some of the stuff in my closets so they look bigger. And I gave the house a good cleaning—ceiling fans to baseboards. It does look fantastic!
I have to admit, I love this little house even more now. I plan to enjoy the improvements until moving day.
When Liz and I stage a house we give sellers this advice: repair what needs to be repaired so the house is in move-in condition, add an area rug in the living space to pull it together and add color, remove clutter and family photos so the buyers can see the space and imagine themselves living in the house, and clean everything so it shines!
So I took our advice:
I bought an area rug for the living room. The carpet is contractor beige, and the new rug really adds color and style to the room—pulls it together.
Conor laid a new floor—oak laminate—in the kitchen and entryway. When I bought the house almost two years ago, the floor was scarred from someone scooting a refrigerator into place. So, for future reference, always put something under the wheels—plywood or carpet—to roll the fridge into place. It’s heartbreaking to tear flooring you just put down.
I replaced the ceiling in my coat closet that Handyman Judd cut out when looking for a burst pipe before I moved in. That hole has been there all this time—so I finally got around to it. Working in a two by two foot cubicle, trying to nail boards to brace the drywall above my head, standing on a step stool that doesn’t fit so I had to lean it against the wall, dropping every other drywall screw as I drilled them into place—well, needless to say, that little project took entirely too long. But when it was spackled and painted and dry, it was a lot better than the hole!
Conor replaced a doorknob on the kitchen door that leads into the garage with a lever handle and deadbolt that will use the same key as the front door.
Liz took down my Christmas tree and decorations, took pictures and will list the house this week. She reminded me to take down my family photos—now, that’s a hard one. Do I really have to take down my son’s precious baby pictures, toddler pictures, high school pictures, oh, and my nieces and nephews—everyone I love? Yes, that’s what we tell our clients, so that’s what I must do. I’ll get a head start on packing and pack those distractions away. Buyers need to look at the house and picture themselves living here.
I bought new hand towels for the powder room and touched up paint around the house, and painted the handrail going up the stairs. I cleared out some of the stuff in my closets so they look bigger. And I gave the house a good cleaning—ceiling fans to baseboards. It does look fantastic!
I have to admit, I love this little house even more now. I plan to enjoy the improvements until moving day.
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